Lance watched Keith's peaceful breathing, his chest rising and falling slowly. Lance hadn't gotten much sleep, instead fitfully dreaming of Keith and that man. On and off, and he kept waking up in a cold sweat. So he gave up all together. 

In the dream, Keith was always home alone, playing video games and eating pancakes and strawberry ice cream. It would always be the same. It was so great at the beginning, just Keith having a great time all alone. 

Then that man would show up, but he always had a bat, and was hooded. Lance would always come home too late.

But then there was one dream that scared him more than the others, though it was only a little bit different. 

Keith wasn't home alone. He was eating ice cream and pancakes and playing video games..with Lance. Lance was grinning and they'd be playing around and laughing...and then they-

Lance woke up immediately, breath hitched and eyes wide. He'd have dreams of other guys before but this....this was Keith. 

Keith was...a siren. 

It's nothing. I'm just being delirious, the dream means nothing. 

He pulled out his phone. He needed to tell someone about the break in. 

His fingers wandered to the group chat, so maybe he needed them badly. He didn't even know what he was going to say.

Chat Name: Lotura/ Alotor?

Pidge is online

Hunk is online

Lance is online

8:46

Lance: hey guys

Pidge: morning

Hunk: hey buddy! You ok?

Lance: fine. I guess

Hunk: everything alright? what was the problem?

Pidge: y do I feel like someone's not telling me what's really going on here?!?!

Hunk: sorry Pidge. Not my place tho

Pidge: it's okay I forgive you, I can't get mad at you anyway :)

Hunk: aww :)

Allura is online

Matt is online

Allura: what's up?

Pidge: Lance was just about to say, right Lance?

Lance: uh

Matt: morning guys

Coran is online

Coran: Morning! How is everyone?

Allura: better than ever

Pidge: hungry

Matt: ok I guess

Hunk: amazing!! And you?

Coran: Sunny side up my boy! :D

Pidge: a sunny side up egg sounds good right about now

Hunk: it does!!

Allura: what's this about Lance now?

Lance: I uh I have bad news

Matt: you're telling me. I have this terrible rash on the back of my neck

Matt: been here for a few days

Pidge: ew gross

Hunk: go see a doctor dude

Romelle is online

Romelle: Oh Matt!! I have a bunch of balms and creams for stuff like that! You should let me help!!

Matt: cool

Romelle: what kind of rash is it?

Matt: :/

Matt: you tell me

Pidge: enough of that

Pidge: Lance has an announcement

Matt: o yeah

Matt: sorry buddy :(

Lance: it's ok

Hunk: u sure u can tell them?

Lance: I think yeah

Hunk: ok buddy :)

Lance: so the thing is

Pidge: WIAT

Pidge: WAIT*

Romelle: you just told us to let him go....

Pidge: LANCE

Lance: ...what

Pidge: you didn't return hunks smiley 

Lance: ...what

Lance: oh

Lance: OH 

Lance: sorry man :D

Matt: you don't seem that cheery 

Lance: I'm not

Coran: XD 

Allura: uh..

Romelle: rude much

Lance: :/

Coran: sorry son! Wifi is a little slow here, just lagging a little

Lance: that's okay :)

Hunk: aw poor Coran

Coran: YUP :)

Matt: Lolol

Pidge: hah

Coran: wait I'm not poor 

Coran: no

Allura: Lance pls say what you have to say

Lance: alright 

Lance: there was a break in yesterday

Lance: when Keith was home alone

Romelle: omg...

Pidge: is he alright??

Hunk: my question exactly

Hunk: you left me hanging yesterday dude I was worried

Lance: sorry :(

Lance: Keith is ok I caught the guy in the act tho

Lance: but he drove off

Matt: what did he look like

Matt: Pidge put your tracker away you couldn't take him ur weak

Matt: and small

Coran: I hope Keith is ok

Romelle: :////////

Pidge: I'd kick ur ass Matt

Lance: he was tall, with long white hair, it was kinda weird but reminded me of lura

Romelle: wait

Romelle: wait a minute

Allura: uh

Allura: I have a question about this guy

Lance: yeah? I didn't see much

Allura: did he have a...

Allura: a

Lance: no he didn't have a a 

Pidge: dumbass lmaooo

Allura: no

Allura: did he have a limp

Allura: like he couldn't use his legs properly

Lance: uh yeah actually

Lance: he took out the trash cans in the back

Lance: ..how did you know

Romelle: bc she is dating that guy

Pidge: THATS LOTOR??

Hunk: wait what

Coran: I know I'm lagging but what is going on here

Allura: well

Allura: the thing is

Lance: Allura

Lance: don't tell me you told this guy about Keith

Allura: I didn't

Allura: well kinda?

Allura: it's so complicated

Lance: I trusted you. 

Lance: what did you do

Allura: I told him who Keith was but not what he was. 

Allura: just a friend

Allura: and we rnt dating Melles!!

Romelle: mhm

Romelle: keep telling ur self that

Allura deleted the chat name

Pidge: I feel like this guy was already looking for Keith

Hunk: you think he broke in just for keith?

Allura: impossible

Allura: he doesn't know Keith. He's from upstate

Matt: are you sure? He could be lying

Matt: no offense buddy but ur not exactly rich

Coran: all caught up now, Got good wifi :)

Coran: but Matt is right. No one would break in for lances stuff

Lance: Im so confused...

Pidge: clearly someone broke in just for Keith

Lance: well they seemed in a shock, plus that guy is obviously crippled...he won't be back anytime soon

Matt: coast clear?

Hunk: probably...

Romelle: is anyone putting two and two together

Romelle: thinking what I'm thinking

Allura: don't think so

Pidge: no

Hunk: nada

Lance: I..I think I am Melles

Romelle: u say it then

Lance: I think this Lotor guy might've been a siren too

Hunk: huh

Coran: what

Pidge: 0-0 

Allura: wat 

Matt: watt*

Romelle: it's simple. Lotor can't walk guys, remember how Keith was when he first came to the surface??

Lance: and it's a long shot but he might be after Keith's purpose

Hunk: I thought he didn't have one

Lance: but he told me about a siren who was arrested for killing sirens and taking their purposes, he was apart of their council but using his gift for bad. 

Allura: so you think he...

Pidge: God damn

Pidge: he's after Keith

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lance took a deep breath. His friends and him had agreed on not telling with about their hunch. He'd be more calm anyway. He glanced over at Keith, who  was going to wake up sooner or later. 

Lance sighed. This was too much information, and he felt like his brain would split. 

He didn't fully trust Allura either. Maybe she did tell Lotor Keith was a siren, maybe she did and he came to take Keith away forever. 

That possibility...broke Lances heart.

Or, Romelle and Lance could be right, and Lotor is the siren Keith told Lance about, or someone close to them, who came to take Keith's purpose, whatever that purpose may be. 

Which in that case, meant that Allura gave away where Keith was, and put him in far more danger than he was already in. 

That made Lances heart stop completely. 

Maybe it was a bad idea telling his friends about Keith. He didn't want to have to keep secrets from them, but if it made Keith safe....

"Coffee." Lance whispered to himself. 

He needed his mothers coffee. 

But his mother wasn't around. 

He groaned, he missed his family, he needed his family. 

This was too much. He needed to get away. He needed to get Keith away. 

But for now, he needed coffee. 

He stumbled downstairs, legs still weak, looking for the coffee pot. 

He made one perfect cup of joe, the cream and sugar blended perfectly together. He smiled, he felt better already. Though he still felt sad and lonely. 

He wanted to trust his friends but...maybe they couldn't help themselves. Maybe right now Lotor was waiting in the dark, replanning his strategy. Making it better. He would know he was in trouble, but would that stop him?

Maybe Keith knew...maybe he saw Lotor's face and put two and two together. 

Did he know already?

Did he know his purpose? 

Lance shook his head, erasing the doubt. Keith wouldn't keep huge secrets like that from him. 

Or would he?

Maybe Lance was over judging how close they were. Maybe in his mind they were best buds, maybe something more...

No. No. Best buds. Best buds yeah. 

Or maybe to Keith, Lance was just another step in finding his purpose. 

Maybe.

Or maybe Keith wanted to try some coffee. 

Lance took his time, making the coffee perfect, just for Keith. Just like his mama taught him in that small kitchen so long ago. Already he could feel her arms around him...

He needed to go home.

Lance carefully made his way back to Keith, holding the piping hot cup, the caramel colored liquid sloshing slightly when he opened the door.

Keith was awake. He was staring at his hands, hair covering his face. He looked almost in pain. 

"Oh hey you're up." Lance said cheerily. He softly closed the door. 

Keith looked up, eyes wary. For a split second he looked like he was scared. In total fear. It was plain in his eyes, taking up every inch of his face. 

For a split second.

Then he was smiling. "Yeah, how'd you rest?" 

"Fine." Lance lied. "You?"

"Okay." 

"I made you something. I want you to try it." Lance said creeping over to the bed. 

Keith's eyes lit up like they always did when Lance had something new. "What is it??" 

"Coffee." Lance held out the cup. 

Keith leaned forward quickly, grabbing at it. 

"Careful!" Lance said pulling back. "Its hot." 

Keith nodded. "Sorry." He said. He let Lance give it to him slowly. 

"So what do you think?" Lance asked as Keith took a sip. "My mama taught me how to make it like that, most coffee is served black or with a lot of whipped cream and chocolate. But I like it like that." He sighed, his mom would be proud of the coffee he made.

"Its sooo good." Keith said gulping down the rest. 

Lance laughed. "Yeah that's what I said." 

"But I don't blame people for buying it with whipped cream." Keith said licking his lips. "Whipped cream is amazing." 

"It is isn't it?" 

"Can you make me more?"

Lance nodded getting up and taking Keith's cup. "Of course. But don't get carried away..caffeine isn't exactly healthy okay?" 

Keith bit back the urge to ask what caffeine was and nodded. As Lance left the room he sighed in relief. Lance seemed himself, happy and carefree. The day before had been..

Keith had had a long grueling nightmare about it. But it'd be okay- he'd be okay. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Young Keith Memory

"I want a purpose that's so powerful, I could take down any monster!" 5 year old Keith grins in triumph, placing his fist in the air. 

Shiro laughs. "That's unlikely. But you might not also want that to happen." 

Keith furrowed his eyebrows. "Why not?" 

Adam came in chuckling. He smiled at Shiro. 

"Because there are sirens out there that want that power."

"Who?" Keith asked.

"There was a siren, Zarkon, who was apart of the council. Do you know why?" 

"He had a powerful purpose!!" Keith answered.

"Correct." Adam winked, tapping Keith's nose. 

"But do you know what that purpose was?" Adam asked.

Shiro watched them, uneasily scratching his head.

"What?"

"His purpose let him take away other purposes. In other sirens. He was put in the council for that reason. Because he could take away purposes from sirens doing bad. You understand?" 

"Yeah." Keith nodded. He was in a trance, his mind wrapping around the story.

"Well, all good things must come to an end." Adam sighed.

"Did someone take his purpose?"

"Not..quite... You see, Zarkon decided to go bad, he started using his purpose for evil. When you have such a powerful gift like that, you can't always stay on the good side." Shiro placed a hand on Adams shoulder. Adam didn't flinch.

"Zarkon began taking other powerful purposes from innocent good people. It's what he did." Adam said sadly. Shiro stiffened, and his eyes turned dark.

"They stopped him right?" Keith asked.

"Yes, and his family was banished in fear of his son having that power." 

"His son?" 

"Lotor." Adams eyes sparked.

"That's enough." Shiro said pulling Keith away.

"I wanna hear more about Lotor!! And Zarkon!!" Keith cried.

"No. I said enough, you understand?" Shiro asked.

Adam locked eyes with Shiro.

"Why?" Shiro mouthed. "Why?"

But Adam hadn't known.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Keith covered his face in his hands. He'd known when he saw the intruders eyes that he had been a siren. 

Sitting in that bare corner all alone had helped him put the pieces together. Everyone had seen images of Lotor as a baby, along with his mother and Zarkon. It was a safety risk taken in Atlantis so no siren would fall into the wrong hands.

Keith knew what Lotor could do. It was released across the sea that he had his fathers gift. Along with much panic and disarray. 

That the council didn't handle. Along with other things. 

Keith gripped the sheets. This wasn't right. There was no justice. Lotor shouldn't have been able to escape and come up here. 

For Keith nonetheless. 

What did this mean? 

His purpose must have been powerful...

If only Keith knew who Zarkon was after when he was arrested. 

"Hey Keith!" Lance walked in, another steaming cup of coffee in his hand. Suddenly, Keith didn't want it that bad.

"Hey." Keith said taking the cup.

"I want you to meet my family!" Lance announced abruptly, clasping his hands and grinning. 

Keith looked up. Lances family lived all the way in Malibu... If Keith could get away from Lotor and be safe. 

He looked into Lances eyes. He wanted to tell him he was in trouble, and that he was scared. Lance would keep him safe. 

But Lance had enough to worry about already. 

"That sounds wonderful. When do we go?"